Late...

As a self diagnosed insomniac I can tell you that a great nights sleep is like finding a great guy. It happens on occasion, and when it does you feel as high as the sky.

Except when it makes you late for the airport.

Something drew me away from my beauty rest, and it wasn’t the sound of xylophones from my iPhone. I dug my way out of the sheets and through the comforter and lazily glanced at the brown digital clock in the hotel room.

9:00 a.m.

Hoping the clock was lying to me, I jumped up out of the queen-sized bed, and over to the desk to grab my phone.

9:01 a.m.

Immediately it dawned on me that my flight from LaGuardia Airport to Washington DC was leaving in an hour and a half, and I still had to get dress, double check the hotel room for items I didn’t want to leave behind, check out of The Park Central Hotel in Manhattan, hail a taxi, and make it to the airport.

While getting dressed I called Delta Airlines to let them know that I would be running late and to see what my options were.

Busy.

Called back.

Busy.

Call again.

Still Busy…

Clearly I am running out of time.

I quickly shoved my things into my luggage and did a quick once over of the hotel room.

9:30 a.m.

Satisfied I wouldn’t leave my life in NYC, I rushed out of the room waited four minutes for an elevator, went straight to the concierge to see if the hotel had a some sort of Delta Airline insider phone numbers that could get me pass the busy signal.

9:37 a.m.

Waiting behind someone asking how to get to Greenwich Village by subway. It must be nice to be on holiday.

9:47 a.m.

Unfortunately, my only hope was to pray I could make it to the airport in time. No need to hail a cab, there was one sitting outside. I told the cab driver that my flight leaves at 10:30.

9:50 a.m.

I don’t know who was talking, but the driver was driving like I was about to have a baby in his cab. I mean, driving down the shoulder, forcing cars over, honking and everything.

10:07 a.m.

I hopped out of the cab in front of Delta Airlines just to find that there are thousands of people standing in line.

10:17 a.m.

I am told to go to the other Delta terminal, which is conviently ten minutes away by bus. Clearly I wasn’t making it to my flight on time.

10:31 a.m.

I watched the plane fly off into the distance with out me.

10:47 a.m.

While waiting for the next flight out at 12:30 p.m. I dozed off thinking about the extra hour I wish I had in that bed.  

A Dream Conferred

Like many of the students who come in my office daily, I come from humble beginnings. I am the oldest of five children, and eleven grandchildren. I carry the weight of more than just me.

And I ain't sayin' we was from the projects
But everytime I want it, layaway or a deposit
My dad'll say "When you see clothes close your eyelids"
~"Champion," K.West, The Graduation

As a result I have had to work tirelessly, to achieve my dreams and expand my possibilities of making them happen.

You see, if you ever wanted to ever be anything
There'd always be somebody that shoot down any dream
~"Bring Me Down," K.West, Late Registration

So many times, I have been told to give up my dream of becoming a leading journalist and settle at this job of mine. My family flipped out when I decided not to major in a science and instead pursue a career in journalism. I was told I was dumb, and I was criticized for choosing a career that would lead to no where. I love the field but have had a difficult time breaking in.

But they're gonna have to take my life 'fore they take my drive
'cause when I was barely living, that's what kept me alive
Just the thought that maybe it could be better than what we at at this time
Make it out of this grind, 'fore I'm out of my mind
~"Bring Me Down," K.West, Late Registration

At times when I am having a particularly difficult day at work (which is often), I’d turn to the motivating sounds of Kanye West and dreamed of my spaceship.

You can't fathom my love dude
Lock yourself in a room doin' five beats a day for three summers
That's a different world like Kree Summers
I deserve to do these numbers
The kid that made that deserves that Maybach
So many records in my basement
I'm just waitin' on my spaceship, blaow
~"Spaceship," K,West, The College Dropout

In the month of March, I received a fleet of spaceships. One after another, admissions acceptance letters from the schools in which I applied, beamed into my e-mail account, while others, landed in my mail box.


I was accepted into the following journalism schools: Michigan State, Syracuse University, University of Maryland-College Park, and Columbia University. I am wait-listed at NYU and Northwestern.

Never in a million years did I image I would be admitted into all of those schools, ESPECIALLY Columbia. I needed one spaceship, and I got four. I am so excited.

Forgive me if I sound boastful, but I am a first generation college graduate. I went to a hood high school (of which I am proud of, with out my school I would not be where I am today), and then managed to go on CAL and complete.

And now, I get to attend the top journalism school in the country. Me, little ole me. I am so ready to go and learn everything I possibly can. I promised myself that if I got into a school, I will work hard and make the most of experience and by golly I will.

If you have a dream, MAKE IT HAPPEN, simply because you can.